Tales from the bargain bin. (Part 2) - 19%

As someone who’s been a Megadeth fan for the better part of 15 years, I’ve long been wary of the dubious nature of many of this band’s compilation releases. This one is, by far, the most dubious of the lot, essentially functioning as an ironically titled get out of jail free card for a band that spent 14 years with the same record label. That’s really the only purpose that this thing severed, aside from being a promotional release for “The World Needs A Hero”, the band’s return to the metal world after a couple of years in a modern rock hiatus, and perhaps as a place for the homeless opening track “Kill The King”, at least until 2005 when the better compilation “Back To The Start” came out.

The important thing to note is that this is a promotional compilation guising as a best of, because you don’t have a best of compilation when you start off with two new songs and essentially throw in a miniscule collection of radio hits in backwards chronological order without any accounting for pacing or stylistic contrast. For those who have already heard Megadeth’s entire discography, the abrupt change in feel that occurs between “Trust” and “A Tout Le Monde” is a surreal reminder of the band’s confusion during the mid 90s, let alone the massive jolt that occurs between “Symphony Of Destruction” and “Hangar 18”. All things considered, if you know most of these songs, or even if you don’t, listening to this straight through is not advised.

Naturally many of the songs on here are obligatory classics, while much of the rest is solid, but having an entire album set up without any thought of what it would sound like when played through defeats the purpose of a compilation. Granted, in this age of ripped playlists, CD compilations are obsolete minus as a dumping place for unreleased rarities, which is what they’ve become. But considering this came out a good 9 years ago, before buying individual songs online became truly widespread, there’s no excuse for this. Throwing together a bunch of songs that happened to be audience and radio favorites happens, but at least format it in a way so that it doesn’t sound like it’s on random play.

And as if the bad track ordering wasn’t enough, before the whole thing withers away and dies we are treated to a trippy medley of Megadeth classics, put together to form a random, jagged collage of sound that I don’t care to listen to again. Random art might be a fancy for some, but anyone who thought that “Risk” had too much quirky sound effects and production gimmicks; this makes that entire album sound like Danzig’s debut. But for all of you who love old Megadeth but scrambled your brains a bit too much head banging to “Peace Sells”, which would probably explain why you might have bought this at full price when it came out, this translates into “this is pointless, don’t spend money on it”.

That’s basically the best advice I can give for anyone toying with buying this for the sake of having a good listening experience. Maybe if you can find it for under $2 at a flee market bargain shop the way I did it might be worth it for “Kill The King”, which is a pretty solid song in the slower “Youthanasia” style. This now has a bright future of picking up dust while sitting in on my shelf between my heavily dust covered copy of “Risk” and my moderately dusty copy of “The World Needs A Hero”, a fitting fate for a compilation that was probably put together over a weekend yet might have made Capitol Records more money than “Risk” did.

Originally submitted to (www.metal-observer.com) on March 26, 2009.

Best radio hits - 82%

At that time, back in 2000, Megadeth needed one record to finish their contract with Capitol Records, so they released this compilation. Megadeth never released a compilation album before, at least a serious attempt of a compilation. But this is just a compilation, not a 'best of' album. This was edited clearly thinking about incomes, because the most succesful songs are here, but in commercial terms. That's why I miss some stuff from the first album, like "Last Rites/Loved to Death", "Mechanix" or "Rattlehead", huge Megadeth's classics and better than some songs included in this compilation. Of course, anthems like "Hangar 18", "Holy Wars", "Peace Sells" and "Symphony of Destruction" are here, and also some radio hits like "Train of Consequences", "Sweating Bullets" and "A Tout le Monde". But some older stuff and even of the recent albums, like "Reckoning Day" or things like that, are missing.

Anyway, this is a good approach to Megadeth's music. If you want to introduce yourself or somebody to Megadeth, this record is very OK for that. And we've got new songs here (at that time): "Kill the King" and "Dread and the Fugitive Mind". Both songs are fucking great. "Kill the King" is catchy and powerful, the riffs and drums playing is astonishing. "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" is as good or better. The lyrics are excellent and the solos great. This reminds me "Sweating Bullets" a lot, mainly for the beginning of the song. But it's kind of boring the fact that this song was included in two albums, one afther the other, and with any new arrangement. Then, why they don't put it in the "Kill the King" single, released before this compilation? And "Dread..." rules, and "The World Needs a Hero", didn't rule that much.

The old songs aren't that well chosen. Why there's a "Risk" song here? Even Mustaine hates this record, and you can count the times they played any song from that record with one hand (but, luckly?, here in Chile they played "I'll Be There") I confess that I've never heard anything from "Risk", but if "Crush 'Em" is the 'best' song from that record, I'll never listen or buy or even download that shit and gay album. The compilation gets better in "Trust", when all the songs are really 'mega-hits'. It's a great part of the album, but I dislike those track before "Trust" (exceptions are the two first tracks)

Well, I don't have many words to describe this, and it doesn't needs many descriptions if we think that those are the most known Megadeth songs, thay they have played them thousands of times live and most of metalheads have listened already. "Capitol Punishment" is a hidden medley, after "Peace Sells", it's somebody changing the radio stations, finding many Megadeth songs. This is some kind of irony, but describes how the tracks were chosen. Well, still a good compilation. And now this went out of print, a fact that makes this more valuable. But own it only if you are a Megadeth fanboy.

Best of the best band - 100%

I can't think of another rating for this album coz like the title sez, this cd is the best of the best band.

Okay, now, there are few things fans bash Dave Mustaine about. But they are needless bashings. First, the fans said that Dave was trying to be a sell-out with releasing a best of CD. NO, he wasn't trying to be a sell-out, he was sick and tired of Capitol Records to make him release what they want him to release, and Dave wanted to go through his direction not the record label's. So, he released a Best Of so that he could be through with Capitol Records quickly and give the fans a better album. So, if fans bash Dave without knowing the truth, shame on them!! The guy just wanted to please the fans...

Second, people are whining about the song selectin. Now, I love Tornado of Souls but the track listing was NOT up to Megadeth. It's something Capitol Records did, the own the copyright to every song on that album, and they chose what BECAME hits, accept it or not, the songs on this album were the hits, they cannot choose what every fan likes. I wish this CD included "Wake Up Dead" but it's ok...I don't whine for that.

This CD deserves a 100, because like I've typed above, there's nothing wrong with it. Classic Megadeth songs plus two new great songs. I love them both. And Capitol Punishment is a great title. This sure is a great CD and the world needs Megadeth back!!

Introduce Someone to Megadeth with This... - 80%

I bought this CD back in May 2001, before The World Needs a Hero came out. It was my first Megadeth CD. I initially loved all of the radio hits, especially the classic Symphony of Destruction. However, I soon got sick of it and threw it to the side of my CD collection. A few months later, after I started high school, I picked it up and threw it in my CD player. I loved the older songs now, with all the aggression they have. Afetr listening to this, I started to become a full-blown metalhead. And that is how i was introduced to metal and Megadeth.

Overall, this album is perfect for someone just starting out listening to Megadeth. They'll like the softer, latter-day Megadeth at first, and the album seems to ease them into the heavier, thrashier stuff. The tracklisting is great. It is missing a few good songs though (Wake Up Dead, Tornado of Souls). The new 2 tracks are worth buying this album, even if you already have all of the Megadeth stuff already. Both songs are incredibly awesome, Kill the King is Fast and Heavy, with some nice drum work. Dread and the Fugitive Mind has some interesting lyrics, and I absolutely love the solos. It's what makes this song (and Megadeth in my opinion) special,

Two good new songs... - 85%

This "old hat re-hash of old popular songs" side of this CD won't get a review here. It holds no worth to me or anyone to mention how great "Hanger 18" is at this point as we all know what those old records sound like. (Though I will complain that too many new songs and too few old songs were selected to be on this compilation.)

Now for the two newies and best material Megadeth has worked on for years...

A)Kill the King

Nice double kick drums and healthy guitar lead this one. Not thrashy, more like something GOOD off Countdown to Extinction. It's got a mother of a mix too. Something that could have called for a rebirth but did not.

B)Dread and the Fugitive Mind

Best Megadumb track in years. So good Dave bothered to release it on two records in a row with only slight remixing being the difference in recording. This song has killer lyrics, a neat beat and everything Megadeth ever promised. VERY worth it.

It's too bad "The World Needs a Hero" didn't live up to the hype these two songs created. In fact, it sucked and these ruled.

Oh well - download these songs as if you are a metalhead you should own all of the originals anyway.